A Goodie from the Devo-file: God is omnipresent

“Because God is ever-present, He is always with me.”–Bill Bright

When people look for comfort in the Bible, they often go to passages like Psalm 23 or Psalm 139. When we are afraid, we often want a “comfy, fuzzy” God that will wrap us up like a big blanket and protect us from our fears. Yet later, we feel stifled by His closeness and ever-attentiveness.

Ever since the Garden, we have been running from God while in our sin. We want Him around when WE want Him around, on our schedule. We almost think to ourselves, “No Jesus, this is my time. You can’t be here. Now is when I do what I want. Now is my night out, my day off!” Sounds silly when I say out loud?

Psalm 22 is familiar to us: Jesus quoted verse 1 while on the cross, yet strangely enough I find comfort in its words. Hebrew poetry has this beautiful richness to it, this tapestry of paradox and contradiction. David writes alternately of loneliness and being sustained, of helplessness and comfort, of feeling trapped, then feeling freed. Embrace the mystery of God’s presence.

Psalm 78:32-39 is still a remarkable commentary on our hamster wheel of obedience. Read the passage over and over; follow the cycle of sin and repentance.–Ouch! We know we shouldn’t, but we want to, so we do. Flip over to Romans 7:15-20 and commiserate with Paul for a moment.

Now I’m going to hit you with something shocking: God still loves you! My mother still says, “I may not like you, but I still love you.” It’s about time we start thinking of God as the coolest friend we have. We do all this stuff that makes Him angry. We don’t talk to Him, we lie to His face, and still He wants to hang out with us!! Okay, so He hangs around a little too much, like some overbearing older brother (trust me, I was one!), but He is always looking out for us, taking care of us.

Without getting “WWJD” crazy, I think we should “plan to hang with God” today. I will admit that I talk to God on a regular, almost hourly basis about everything: bad drivers, my aching feet, pretty sunsets, etc. Don’t be afraid to get real with the Man. Hey, He already knows what you’ve done and what you’re thinking. God desires intimacy with you: so let Him “in to me to see”!

We interrupt this blog to bring you my actual opinion on something…

I have noticed a trend recently of disrespect for the law and for those who make and enforce them. From politicians mudslinging each other (in the glorious festival of stupidity we call “election season”) to a general lack of empathy for people who we elect, but fail to support, I have become somewhat…no, change that, VERY disgusted with the juvenility of America today.

First of all, I don’t really care whether you think we should be in Iraq or not, whether you feel Islam is “a religion of peace” or not, or even if you are Republican/Democrat/whatever: President Bush is the PRESIDENT…and you are not. Give the man some respect! There are few jobs in America that have so much exposure and criticism associated with them…and I don’t exactly think that you are Mr./Mrs. Congeniality at your job either. Being a man of few years, I did not vote for the previous president…so I did not choose to voice my opinion about him. I found him to be less than qualified as a person to represent me and my family, much less this nation, but a majority of electoral voters, representing a majority of voters in their states, elected him…twice. Yet much less criticism fell on him for his extramarital affairs, his lack of response in the Rwanda genocide, his failure to respond to the growing crisis of terrorism worldwide, and his rather shady dealings with the elite of this nation. Where is the respect due to the office of Commander-in-Chief? You may not like Bush, you may not like me, but everyone (yes, EVERYONE) deserves the respect due him/her and their place of authority.

Second, every two years we ballyhoo about how Congress is corrupt and unresponsive to the needs of the people. Yet very few people take a few hours out of their day to go and vote (I know you have the time because you are reading this blog!). Again, I maintain that those who do not act ot change the government (vote, run for office, write a letter, make a phone call etc.) have no right to criticize or insult it. Since I was eighteen, I have voted in every November election and several of the primaries…I make my voice known. I have also written Congress on a issue I found important (African agriculture and continuing European condescension). What have you done with those flapping gums and general irritability you foist upon the blogosphere? (Apologies to those who do not foist.)

This leads me to my next point: we live in a civilized democracy — rule of the majority, protection of the minority. If you happen to be in the majority, you get to set policy. If you happen to be in the minority, you don’t, but you do have the protections of the Constitution to challenge the popular opinion and law. So if you do not agree with the policies in place or those proposed by popular referendum (I am speaking now about marriage amendments, but not exclusively to that issue.), you have three options:

1) Try to stir up support in your area to change the policy .

2) Challenge the legality or validity of the proposition or the policy in court.

3) Move to another area (read: nation) that shares your opinions

Given recent events and popular sentiment in most parts of America, I suggest option 3. Oh yeah, you can also run for Congress, but even there you need a majority to make changes…again option 3 is looking good.

Okay, I’m done now. Sorry if that was too vitrolic…I hope that we as a nation can act civilly and decently toward each other, but that remains to be seen…

A Goodie from the Devo-mail Files: God is omnipotent

“Because God is all-powerful, He can help me with anything.”–Bill Bright

Omnipotence: philosophers and mystics have debated for centuries about the extent and the expanse of God’s power over the universe. However, such lofty speaking is long overdue for a dose of the back of God’s all-reaching hand! If ever someone feels proud of their accomplishments or success, I would suggest that they peruse Job 38-42 before they speak again. It is somewhat hard to be haughty and self-important after the tongue-lashing that the Lord Almighty gives us in this passage. “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2)

Now I’m not saying that we should not be proud of the gifts and opportunities God has given us. Instead I think we should view all that we have as not really ours to be proud of. Americans are known worldwide as having a very narrow view of the world, of thinking that everyone has a TV, a VCR, and an SUV. I often wonder if the Lord in his foreknowledge wrote so many passages in the Bible about humility just for us!

Also, we don’t need to go around our lives wailing and mourning in false contrition. So many Christians these days live in guilt for being successful or well-off. They don’t want to speak out or do anything noticable for fear that people will talk about their “nerve”. They don’t want to drop the big check into the offering plate for fear of “showing off”. Second Corinthians 8 teaches the lesson that some are giuven much so that they can then give much. Some are given vacation time and retirement and summer break so that they can go and do. Some are given light class schedules so that they can serve and share.

Stop being afraid! Stop it right now!! Stop worrying about what people think and do God’s Will, this summer and next year. This is a hard lesson, even for me, and I am struggling with myself on this issue as well. But I am “being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phillipians 1:6) We who are young often look for the approval of others and of society. We think that being unpopular is the end of the world. To that, I say, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake at their surging, we will not fear.” (Psalm 46:1-3)